Prom Zlex theezans leaves, a species reported as adulterant of the genuine erva-maté (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.), two saponins and one triterpene have been isolated. Their structures were elucidated by mean of spectroscopic methods. The saponins were identified as the 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosylester of rotundic acid (pedunculoside, 1) and the 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosylester of rotundioic acid (2).
The triterpene was identified as rotundic acid (3).